if i were to personify my immune system, it would look a bit like wayne knight in jurassic park - slovenly, unkempt, squirmy, selfish, allergic to functionality, and hawaiian shirted. that being said, my immune system DOES NOT WORK. i would like to trade in for a newer model, please, and preferably one that has never had chronic fatigue, but features resistance to mono, chicken pox, and most importantly, the cold.
i woke up this morning in a puddle. drool city. (i'm sorry, this blog was never meant to center around my bodily functions.) an experimental swallow and excavation of the nose crust led to the undeniable conclusion: cold is coming. again. body, what's the deal? you're well-fed, regularly exercised, warm and vitamined. you're young and flexible and provided with ample amounts of fresh air. you grew up in a BARN - clearly you should've developed some sort of resistance by now. but no, benedict arnold, you choose to fell me when i just do NOT HAVE TIME FOR THIS SORT OF THING. we're getting a divorce.
question: has anyone successfully put the kibosh on a cold in its ugly adolescence? megs, who is in the same shoes, advises skipping the airborne as it as 1000% RDA of vitamin C, which can apparently cause stomach cramps and the like (no thank you, sir, i will not have another). help help help!
edit: this just in on today's daily dog (many thanks to the PR world for being timely purveyors of scandal) regarding Airborne: http://www.bulldogreporter.com/dailydog/index.html#3358
28 February 2006
27 February 2006
roll with it, baby
couldn't agree more. as much as traditional education has made us "trained thinkers", time and experience is proving that living stems from feeling. let it all go. from the boston globe:
Thought for thinkers
'Follow your gut,' study advises on big decisions
By Gareth Cook, Globe Staff February 17, 2006
Scientists have some remarkable new advice for anyone who is struggling to make a difficult decision: Stop thinking about it.
In a series of studies with shoppers and students, researchers found that people who face a decision with many considerations, such as what house to buy, often do not choose wisely if they spend a lot of time consciously weighing the pros and cons. Instead, the scientists conclude, the best strategy is to gather all of the relevant information -- such as the price, the number of bathrooms, the age of the roof -- and then put the decision out of mind for a while. Then, when the time comes to decide, go with what feels right. ''It is much better to follow your gut," said Ap Dijksterhuis, a professor of psychology at the University of Amsterdam, who led the research.
For relatively simple decisions, he said, it is better to use the rational approach. But the conscious mind can consider only a few facts at a time. And so with complex decisions, he said, the unconscious appears to do a better job of weighing the factors and arriving at a sound conclusion.
The finding, published today in the journal Science, would have practical implications if borne out by further research.
This is because the new research challenges the conventional approach to making everyday choices that shape so much of life.
But the work is also important, scientists said, because it provides more evidence for a profound reconsideration of the nature of the human psyche.
After Freudian psychology, with its focus on repressed desires, fell out of favor, psychological research largely dismissed the idea that the unconscious played an important role in mental processes. More recently, though, in research popularized in Malcolm Gladwell's bestseller ''Blink," scientists have been finding evidence that the unconscious is not just relevant, but that it is smart.
''There is a bit of a revolution going on in psychology the way that we look at the unconscious," said Timothy Wilson, a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia. ''It is a very different unconscious than Freud imagined."
''Blink" largely focused on snap judgments, such as deciding whether a couple was likely to divorce by watching them for a few moments. But the Science article looked at what the researchers described as the ''deliberation-without-attention effect." This was described as the power of the unconscious mind to process information and to mull through possibilities without the person being aware of it.
In one experiment, students were asked to pick one of four cars based on a list of positive and negative attributes. A description of each car's attributes was flashed on a computer screen for eight seconds, according to the paper.
First, the experimenters provided a simple choice, where each car had a list of just four attributes, some positive (''has good mileage") and some negative (''has poor leg room").
Half of the students were asked to think about their choice for four minutes. The other half were asked to do challenging, distracting puzzles for four minutes, preventing them from consciously considering the car options.
In this experiment, the conscious thinkers did a better job than the distracted students of selecting the best car, which was the only one with three positive characteristics; other cars in the experiment had fewer.
Next, the researchers did a similar experiment, but with a much more complicated choice: Each car was described with a list of 12 attributes rather than the four in the prior test.
This time the students who were not allowed to think consciously about the decision did a better job of selecting the car with the most positive attributes.
Thought for thinkers
'Follow your gut,' study advises on big decisions
By Gareth Cook, Globe Staff February 17, 2006
Scientists have some remarkable new advice for anyone who is struggling to make a difficult decision: Stop thinking about it.
In a series of studies with shoppers and students, researchers found that people who face a decision with many considerations, such as what house to buy, often do not choose wisely if they spend a lot of time consciously weighing the pros and cons. Instead, the scientists conclude, the best strategy is to gather all of the relevant information -- such as the price, the number of bathrooms, the age of the roof -- and then put the decision out of mind for a while. Then, when the time comes to decide, go with what feels right. ''It is much better to follow your gut," said Ap Dijksterhuis, a professor of psychology at the University of Amsterdam, who led the research.
For relatively simple decisions, he said, it is better to use the rational approach. But the conscious mind can consider only a few facts at a time. And so with complex decisions, he said, the unconscious appears to do a better job of weighing the factors and arriving at a sound conclusion.
The finding, published today in the journal Science, would have practical implications if borne out by further research.
This is because the new research challenges the conventional approach to making everyday choices that shape so much of life.
But the work is also important, scientists said, because it provides more evidence for a profound reconsideration of the nature of the human psyche.
After Freudian psychology, with its focus on repressed desires, fell out of favor, psychological research largely dismissed the idea that the unconscious played an important role in mental processes. More recently, though, in research popularized in Malcolm Gladwell's bestseller ''Blink," scientists have been finding evidence that the unconscious is not just relevant, but that it is smart.
''There is a bit of a revolution going on in psychology the way that we look at the unconscious," said Timothy Wilson, a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia. ''It is a very different unconscious than Freud imagined."
''Blink" largely focused on snap judgments, such as deciding whether a couple was likely to divorce by watching them for a few moments. But the Science article looked at what the researchers described as the ''deliberation-without-attention effect." This was described as the power of the unconscious mind to process information and to mull through possibilities without the person being aware of it.
In one experiment, students were asked to pick one of four cars based on a list of positive and negative attributes. A description of each car's attributes was flashed on a computer screen for eight seconds, according to the paper.
First, the experimenters provided a simple choice, where each car had a list of just four attributes, some positive (''has good mileage") and some negative (''has poor leg room").
Half of the students were asked to think about their choice for four minutes. The other half were asked to do challenging, distracting puzzles for four minutes, preventing them from consciously considering the car options.
In this experiment, the conscious thinkers did a better job than the distracted students of selecting the best car, which was the only one with three positive characteristics; other cars in the experiment had fewer.
Next, the researchers did a similar experiment, but with a much more complicated choice: Each car was described with a list of 12 attributes rather than the four in the prior test.
This time the students who were not allowed to think consciously about the decision did a better job of selecting the car with the most positive attributes.
24 February 2006
continuing the saga on the final frontier of social taboos...(a tribute)
From: Alannah
Sent: Friday, February 24, 2006 8:17 AM
To: Meghan
Subject: RE: i know this is mean
What kind of big thoughts? I consumed an Odwalla superfood juice smoothie, does that count as getting things done? I was being bad and downloading new music to test drive before the rest of the office got here (and most of them work from home today). Now I’m going to poop and think about how much it’s costing the client I choose to bill for this chunk of time. How lovely is that? ::Settles back into chair:: Lie down on my couch, Meggie, let’s discuss the nature and root of these thoughts.
alannah
______ public relations
________________________________________________________
From: Meghan
Sent: Friday, February 24, 2006 8:16 AM
To: Alannah
Subject: RE: i know this is mean
LOL. hold on. give me a moment to recover from the giggles of you billing your clients for your morning consultations.
Meghan
________________________________________________________
From: Alannah
Sent: Friday, February 24, 2006 8:25 AM
To: Meghan
Subject: RE: i know this is mean
Let’s see…today I displeased with _______…they’re getting billed $75/hour for my time…(75/60) x 6 minutes of relaxation with the Boston Globe (“current events study”) = $7.50. That’s a poop worth two grande lattes at Sbucks, darling.
alannah
_____ public relations
________________________________________________________
From: Meghan
Sent: Friday, February 24, 2006 8:26 AM
To: Alannah
Subject: RE: i know this is mean
I love how you're an out of the closet poo'er. Just go for it!
Meghan
Moral of today's story? Just go for it with gusto. Have some style. Poop. The final social frontier of social taboos.
Sent: Friday, February 24, 2006 8:17 AM
To: Meghan
Subject: RE: i know this is mean
What kind of big thoughts? I consumed an Odwalla superfood juice smoothie, does that count as getting things done? I was being bad and downloading new music to test drive before the rest of the office got here (and most of them work from home today). Now I’m going to poop and think about how much it’s costing the client I choose to bill for this chunk of time. How lovely is that? ::Settles back into chair:: Lie down on my couch, Meggie, let’s discuss the nature and root of these thoughts.
alannah
______ public relations
________________________________________________________
From: Meghan
Sent: Friday, February 24, 2006 8:16 AM
To: Alannah
Subject: RE: i know this is mean
LOL. hold on. give me a moment to recover from the giggles of you billing your clients for your morning consultations.
Meghan
________________________________________________________
From: Alannah
Sent: Friday, February 24, 2006 8:25 AM
To: Meghan
Subject: RE: i know this is mean
Let’s see…today I displeased with _______…they’re getting billed $75/hour for my time…(75/60) x 6 minutes of relaxation with the Boston Globe (“current events study”) = $7.50. That’s a poop worth two grande lattes at Sbucks, darling.
alannah
_____ public relations
________________________________________________________
From: Meghan
Sent: Friday, February 24, 2006 8:26 AM
To: Alannah
Subject: RE: i know this is mean
I love how you're an out of the closet poo'er. Just go for it!
Meghan
Moral of today's story? Just go for it with gusto. Have some style. Poop. The final social frontier of social taboos.
23 February 2006
for the artophiles (i made that one up): 5-0! hit the deck, it's the carabinieri!
so kathryn and i are doing the self magazine challenge which involves a daily poll. yesterday, as i clicked in to lamely record my pre-dawn jaunt with the mollster, i noted the question of the day: should employees who are obese or smokers be required to pay more for their health insurance? the results were heavily (no pun intended) slanted with about 82% of the respondents saying yes, they should be required to cough it up (this bad pun ALSO unintended, sorry). not sure how i honestly feel about the subject, but all of you ladies out there hopped up on fitness endorphins are sure snappy with that judgment-passing (on day THREE of your diets, sisters - how many of you hit the ice cream hard last night?).
so you're obese. so you're dragging on the butts. countless studies show that you're without question hacking away at the quality of your health. well, what about the workaholics in the crowd? stress level city, friends. bad for you all around, countless more studies have proven. so if the same theory applies, and your employees are pulling down ten to twelve hour days for you, should they also be required to fund more of their own insurance?
if you'll recall, i spent a few weeks on crutches recently and hated every second of it. my arms were black and blue, my back was sore, and my other joints were stinging from repeated, awkward hobbling. however, my recovery time would've been a LOT shorter if i hadn't had to go to work. the extra stress of three weeks on crutches probably contributed to the several follow up appointments that occured DURING work time. thus, my being at work resulted in having to take more time off, (because when i wasn't working, rest assured, i was parked on my couch). sooo. for being a diligent employee and working even though i knew i was only hurting myself more, do i owe the company more for my health insurance? i think not.
certainly, obesity and smoking aren't really contributing to the company in any way, but i think there's a huge grey area surrounding who should and shouldn't be stepping it up on insurance rates, and it's probably best to just not go there, particularly when you're feeling all righteous from your ten minute jogs, girls. snap!
so kathryn and i are doing the self magazine challenge which involves a daily poll. yesterday, as i clicked in to lamely record my pre-dawn jaunt with the mollster, i noted the question of the day: should employees who are obese or smokers be required to pay more for their health insurance? the results were heavily (no pun intended) slanted with about 82% of the respondents saying yes, they should be required to cough it up (this bad pun ALSO unintended, sorry). not sure how i honestly feel about the subject, but all of you ladies out there hopped up on fitness endorphins are sure snappy with that judgment-passing (on day THREE of your diets, sisters - how many of you hit the ice cream hard last night?).
so you're obese. so you're dragging on the butts. countless studies show that you're without question hacking away at the quality of your health. well, what about the workaholics in the crowd? stress level city, friends. bad for you all around, countless more studies have proven. so if the same theory applies, and your employees are pulling down ten to twelve hour days for you, should they also be required to fund more of their own insurance?
if you'll recall, i spent a few weeks on crutches recently and hated every second of it. my arms were black and blue, my back was sore, and my other joints were stinging from repeated, awkward hobbling. however, my recovery time would've been a LOT shorter if i hadn't had to go to work. the extra stress of three weeks on crutches probably contributed to the several follow up appointments that occured DURING work time. thus, my being at work resulted in having to take more time off, (because when i wasn't working, rest assured, i was parked on my couch). sooo. for being a diligent employee and working even though i knew i was only hurting myself more, do i owe the company more for my health insurance? i think not.
certainly, obesity and smoking aren't really contributing to the company in any way, but i think there's a huge grey area surrounding who should and shouldn't be stepping it up on insurance rates, and it's probably best to just not go there, particularly when you're feeling all righteous from your ten minute jogs, girls. snap!
21 February 2006
an old habit...
...of looking like she's moving fast. it keeps people from asking too many questions.
-storypeople
you wake up to the buzz of the alarm clock. it's a relief that the vibrations belong to something electronic, because you're pretty sure that if someone shook you at that obnoxious rate, they'd hear the pieces of your insides rattling around. the step down from clouds nine to three and a half is pretty steep, and disappointing to report. so you don't.
shower, shave, swab ears. find jeans. feed dogs. flip laundry. locate breakfast, lunch. pack. pop green tea in the microwave, start the car. grab the newspaper to bring into the house - except you're on the ground, because your heel got stuck in that driveway crack that's been there since you moved in. it's been covered and refilled countless times, but it always surfaces. in fact, your shoe is sticking out of the driveway, and you're lying under the bumper of your car (which conveniently tried to catch your head on the way down). so you do what you need to do, what you've needed to do - you curl up in a ball and cry in your driveway, marking the turquoise lining on your tweed coat, snotting into your mittens, holding your turtleneck up to your nose in an effort to block the new sunlight and buy yourself a little bit more time. and then you're done. your tea is ready. the car is warm. the red spots from ugly-crying will fade on the way to work. you're fine. you're back. you're okay. you always are, after all.
yeah, i'm back.
03 February 2006
a word from our arty chick sponsors...
01 February 2006
tripping down memory lane
thanks to hal for the continuation on the full house themed updates...
D.J.: You have the brain of a paramecium.
Steph: Maybe I have the brain of a paramecium, but you only have the brain of one mecium.
D.J.: You have the brain of a paramecium.
Steph: Maybe I have the brain of a paramecium, but you only have the brain of one mecium.
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